


Commencement

by bitboozy



Series: Domesticated [43]
Category: Broadchurch
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Family, Gen, Romance, This is a love story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-05-28
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:40:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24210754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bitboozy/pseuds/bitboozy
Summary: Alec and Ellie celebrate (and mourn) Daisy's high school graduation, and other tales.
Relationships: Alec Hardy & Ellie Miller, Alec Hardy/Ellie Miller
Series: Domesticated [43]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1550554
Comments: 77
Kudos: 118





	1. Chapter 1

When the weather begins to change for the better in Broadchurch, it is a _big damn deal_. The tourists begin to flock into town and, as a result, morale amongst the locals rises drastically. Children become a bit hyper and feverish while adults relish the small things, like drinking outside and cultivating their gardens.

After a few months’ lapse, Alec Hardy begins his daily routine of running again in the early mornings. He rises before everyone, including the baby. He starts a large pot of coffee before he dashes out the door, in the hopes that the smell will naturally awaken the three other House of Hardy residents who partake. Often, when he returns, he finds Daisy and Tom slumped at the kitchen table over steaming hot mugs, staring into them like ghosts.

His route through town is a road less taken, let’s say. He avoids busy streets, going nowhere near the high street – unless Ellie has, the night before, requested he pick up pastries or some such. When that happens, he has to _walk_ back to the house, painting a smile on his face as he greets the people who are now his neighbors and acquaintances. For most, “friend” is still a bridge too far and he likes it that way.

He makes a point, when possible, of running up to the cliff tops. There, he takes two or three minutes standing a few feet from the edge, overlooking the sea. He reserves these moments for gratitude, to remind himself of everything he has and how much has changed in his life over the last few years. Now and then he glances down at his wedding ring with nothing short of astonishment, and smiles knowing no one can see him. Then he runs off from whence he came and all thoughts dissipate once more.

This particular morning, a Friday, his thoughts are more nagging than usual. Today is the last day of the school term, for all the children, but for Daisy most of all. Tomorrow is Daisy’s graduation. The next day, Daisy’s graduation _party_. He runs faster than usual, as if trying to outrun his thoughts. Daisy’s whole life seems to go flying past him as he runs, from birth to impending graduation. He thinks about all the different iterations of their relationship and mourns the fact that the very best one has been the shortest.

When he makes it home, his run having been a bit longer today, he first encounters Fred on the couch eating dry Cheerios out of a red plastic bowl, watching _Thomas the Tank Engine_.

“Mornin’.” He walks over and gives Fred a kiss on top of the head.

“Morning, Daddy.” Fred doesn’t flinch or even look at him, but the words are more than enough to give Alec that warm feeling he’s come to associate with his children.

Down the hallway through to the kitchen, he finds Tom at the stove making scrambled eggs. The teenager usually opts for toast or a cereal bar. Daisy is seated at the table, mug of coffee in hand, scrolling on her mobile.

“Mornin’.”

Neither one of them looks up either. “Morning,” they both call back automatically.

Alec leans over Tom’s shoulder before grabbing a water bottle out of the fridge. “Eggs?”

“For Daisy,” Tom says.

“He lost a bet,” Daisy says, again without looking up.

Alec could ask, but the mystery is more amusing to him. He leans against the counter and chugs about half the water in one go.

“Your mum been down?” He asks them.

“Upstairs,” Tom replies with a shrug.

“Throw a couple of boiled eggs on, will you?” He pats Tom’s shoulder as he passes.

When he reaches the top of the stairs, he can hear the baby babbling her nonsense words. He follows the sound into their bedroom.

Ellie is lying on the bed, on her back, with her head at the bottom of the mattress, holding her mobile above her face. The baby has faceplanted onto Ellie’s stomach, apparently trying to climb on top of her.

“Ah, good mornin’,” Alec says, closing the door behind him.

Aila pushes herself up at the sound of his voice.

“ _Ow_ ,” Ellie complains, at the sudden pressure on her bladder.

Aila pushes back onto her knees, trying to turn her body to see him, but then immediately falls backwards onto the duvet. She holds her arms out.

“Lazy mornin’, eh?” Alec says with a smirk, going to pick up Aila.

Ellie puts her mobile down. “My body feels like cement.”

He leans down, baby in his arms, and plants a kiss on her lips.

“You’re getting the baby all sweaty,” she remarks.

He kisses Aila’s face all over, then tries to put her down again. But she has a death grip on his shirt and refuses.

“Come on, darlin’, Daddy needs to shower,” Alec pleads with her.

“Desperately,” Ellie adds, picking up her mobile again.

He manages to extricate Aila from him and plops her back down onto the mattress. She starts to cry.

“Oh, please,” Ellie retorts with a laugh. “You’d think you never get _any_ attention from your precious daddy.”

Alec pulls his t-shirt over his head and flings it in the direction of his closet. “Only be a few minutes, lass.”

He pulls his sweatpants off, causing Ellie to turn her head in his direction. “Looking awfully fit there, Inspector.”

“It’s all for you, baby.”

He winks at her and she laughs out loud. It is not nearly as sexy as he hoped it would be.

Aila continues to cry pitifully. Ellie sits up. “Oh, for heaven’s sake.” She reaches for the baby, sitting comfortably cross-legged, and lifts her t-shirt. Aila immediately forgets her grievances and attaches herself to Ellie’s breast. “Yeah, you’re a tough one, aren’t you.”

Alec trudges into the loo, leaving the door open, and turns the shower on.

And so the day begins.

*

After Ellie returns to the station from nice outdoor lunch picnic with Beth, she is holed up in her office drowning in paperwork. These days, she is starting to understand why Alec was so grumpy at work so much of the time. Despite this, she’s in a fairly good mood after an hour of gossip and chitchat, plus she can see the sun shining from the window across the way. Her spirits are lifted when she thinks about how nice it will be for the kids to play (or _hang out_ , in some cases) outside again. Fred can expend all of his energy running from tree to tree in the back garden with his lightsaber. Aila can crawl through the grass for the first time and be utterly flabbergasted by it all (and try to eat it, of course). Alec can pick up all the household projects he’d had to abandon when the cold set in. And she can drink G&Ts on the patio with a good book in hand. Finally. Fresh air.

Just as she’s imagining a tree swing in the garden, the sunlight is suddenly blocked from her view and is replaced by an Alec eclipse.

He appears in the doorway, leaning against it, with a melodramatic sigh and a wistful, sad expression.

She nearly laughs out loud.

“How can I help you, sir?”

He sighs heavily again.

“Sit down, you’re blocking my vitamin D,” she complains.

“Can’t get vitamin D sitting fifteen feet away from a closed window,” Alec grumbles, moving to the couch.

She rolls her eyes. “Fortunately, I have _you_ , my ray of sunshine.”

He crosses one leg over the other. “Can’t stop thinkin’ about Daisy’s last day at school.”

“Surprise, surprise.” But her smile is sympathetic. “I hope you’re going to let her enjoy this. Don’t let your Sad Dad black cloud hover over her.”

Alec grimaces at her. “Bit rude.”

“Daisy’s worked hard, this is an exciting time for her. I understand that all you can think about is her leaving in a few months, but try not to let it bring her down, all right?”

He grunts in response, literally twiddling his thumbs.

“Besides, you’re quite lucky. Very few Sad Dads have another daughter at home, age zero, to smother and torment for eighteen more years after this one,” she reminds him. “By the time we have a good and proper empty nest, we’ll be over the moon.”

This _does_ please him somewhat, but he doesn’t want to let her know.

Ellie sighs and gets up. She’s wearing dark grey jeans and a purple sleeveless button down blouse – casual Friday – and Alec is immediately cheered by how delectable she looks.

“Cheer up, my love,” she says, sitting on his lap. “We’ve got a lovely weekend ahead of us. Looks like the weather’s going to hold up as well, zero rain predicted.”

He brings his face to her chest and holds her tightly. She strokes his hair.

“You smell like flowers,” he murmurs into her chest.

She snorts. “Think that’s my new deodorant actually.”

“I like it.”

She kisses his hair. “Mm-hm.”

He unfastens her top blouse button and presses his lips to her collarbone.

Ellie smiles. “Careful now, door’s open.” But she relishes the feeling.

He slowly begins to cover her chest with open-mouthed kisses while she gently rubs his back.

“Know what I was thinking? This might cheer you up,” she says.

“Hmm.”

“I was thinking we might take the kids to the beach tonight.”

“Mm?"

“Well, perhaps just the little ones, I suspect Tom and Daiz will have plans of their own to celebrate end of term,” Ellie continues. “But we could, after dinner, head off to the beach for a bit. Watch the sunset. Let Fred splash around, he’ll be good and chuffed about it. And Aila…”

Alec lifts his head to look at her. “Baby’s first beach.”

Ellie grins. “Baby’s first beach.”

He grins back. “We can put her in her floppy little hat with the tie.”

“She’s going to hate that thing.”

But he seems enthralled already. “I know.”

She brushes his hair out of his eyes. “We can introduce her to the ocean. _Imagine_ , Alec.”

“I’m imaginin’.”

“See?” She kisses the corner of his mouth. “Lots to look forward to still."

He places a kiss on her neck, then gives it a little bite. “Now that I’ve got you.”

“Going to be quite the sentimental bugger this weekend, aren’t we.”

“Yes,” he admits with a kiss to her shoulder.

She smiles, then pats his arm. “All right then, back to work, eh? _Boss_.”

*

Hal startles when Ellie walks into the lab.

“Heya,” she greets him casually, manila folder in hand.

He drops his pen. “…Hey, El.”

“All right?”

“Yeah, all right, you?” He swivels a little too far to the left on his stool and end up spinning around one full turn.

“Weather’s turned, finally,” she says brightly. “Not that you’re having any of it from down here.” The lab is in the basement.

Brian enters briskly, fresh from a crime scene.

“All right, El?”

She glances at him over her shoulder. “Anything new turn up?”

“Not as yet.” He sits down at his computer and gets to work on something.

Ellie turns back to Hal and places the folder down at his work station. “Not gotten much out of this DNA profile after all.”

“Yeah.” He tries to casually open the folder but the papers inside fall out. Ellie helps him retrieve them. Their hands brush past one another and Hal flinches. “Not as complete as we’d like, so.”

Brian glances over at them and smirks. Ellie just barely catches sight of this out of the corner of her eye.

“Anyway.” She starts to turn on her heel.

“Uh,” Hal speaks up. “Not seen much of you at the gym there lately.”

“Ah, you caught me.” Ellie turns back to him with a sheepish smile and throws up her hands. “Kind of fell off a bit since knocking off the baby weight. Meanwhile Alec’s back at it with the running and I’m feeling flabby as ever, s’pose I ought to get back at it.”

Ellie reaches back to nonchalantly adjust her hair clip and Hal awkwardly looks her up and down. “Look right fine to me.”

From his own station, Brian snorts, but doesn’t look at them.

“Thank you very much,” Ellie replies cordially, with a slight affectation and a half-curtsy. “Well, best be off. Must relieve the childminder. You two have yourselves a lovely weekend, eh?”

“Yeah, you too, El, bye then,” Hal stammers.

“See you Monday, boss!” Brian calls out.

As Ellie strides down the hallway toward the stairs, she hears Brian’s harsh whisper.

“Could be a bit more subtle, eh?”

*

Alec picks up Nando’s for dinner in the hopes that Daisy will join them. But she has already had pizza with her mates and is “out for the night.” Tom is having dinner at Erin’s, then is apparently attending the same end of term party as Daisy.

Alec and Ellie eat alone with the little ones. Fred is _more_ than thrilled to have his parents to himself, save for the baby of course. Alec is a bit blue throughout dinner. Ellie throws him the occasional sympathetic smile as she tries to get Aila to swallow at least 75% of the baby food put in her mouth. Every time she puts down the spoon, Aila swipes it off the tray and onto the floor, laughing infectiously whenever it reappears magically in Ellie’s hand.

“Fred, love, you know what we thought we might do tonight?” She says, watching her six-year-old shovel rice into his mouth. “Go to the _beach_.”

He opens his mouth in shock and rice comes falling back out, just like when Aila eats. Ellie sighs.

“The beach!”

“Isn’t that right, Daddy?” Ellie nudges Alec.

He snaps back to life. “Yes, yeah, the beach. What d’you think there, lad?”

“BEACH BEACH BEACH.”

Aila tries and fails several times to pick up the spoon with her hand.

“You can do it, Ailie,” Fred says, encouragingly.

She manages to grab onto the bowl of the spoon, then bangs it triumphantly on the tray over and over.

“Okay, okay.” Ellie grabs onto the spoon and still her hand. Aila starts to cry. “Awfully headstrong these days, little miss.”

Alec scoffs. “ _These days_?”

Aila stops crying when Fred waves his hand in front of her face. She is a sucker for a waving hand. With the back of her own hand, Ellie quickly swipes the tears from the baby’s cheek. She then removes the tray from the high chair and places it on the table.

“You want Fred or the baby?” She asks Alec.

“What kind of question is that?”

“Go get Fred cleaned up and ready to go then,” she says.

Fred hops out of his chair. “Come on, Daddy.”

Ellie clears her throat. “Dishes, young man.”

With a groan, Fred picks up his dishes and brings them to the sink.

*

Tom is on the front porch of Henry McGann’s house, sitting on the railing with a Sam Adams and his mobile.

“Hey.”

Daisy comes up behind him, a red solo cup in her hand.

“Just one, yeah?” She nudges him.

Tom looks down at his beer. “Yeah.”

This is their rule whenever they’re at the same party, which is surprisingly often. Tom, being fifteen and still underage, is allowed one beer. Any more than that and Daisy is obliged to inform their parents.

“Where’s Erin?” She sits down on the railing beside him.

“On her way.” He clinks his bottle against her cup. “Cheers.”

“Cheers.”

They both take a sip.

“I’m going away for a month.”

Tom looks at her.

“Spend time with my mum before going off in the fall,” Daisy continues.

“…You tell them yet?”

Daisy shakes her head. “Just a month though. Be here the rest of the summer.”

Tom scoffs at her cavalier attitude. “Your dad’s gonna need a new pacemaker.”

She nudges his shoulder with her own. “Don’t joke about that.”

“Sorry.” Tom takes a sip. “How much of the Scottish contingent is coming for your do on Sunday?”

“Just Auntie Greer, I think. Maybe she’ll bring Angus along with her this time.”

Tom nods. “And your mum?”

“Yeah. They’ve all split the cost of it.”

“Better tell Mum and Alec before Tess gets here then,” Tom suggests. “She’ll bring it up for sure.”

“Dad’s already so soppy about the whole thing,” Daisy tells him. “He keeps showing up at my bedroom door for no reason. Just wanting to _talk_."

Tom chuckles. “Mum’ll straighten him out.”

“So funny to me that he’s the soppy one between them.”

“Yeah, she’s only soppy about Fred,” he replies.

“He’s her _baby_ ,” Daisy reminds him. “Even now she’s got an actual baby, he’s still her _baby_.”

“It’s like a sort of arrested development between them,” Tom says, hoping the psychology term he’s using is correct. “It’s like their relationship has stayed exactly the same since the day my dad was arrested.”

“Probably didn’t help those six months or so you were gone,” Daisy mentions with a pointed look.

“Yeah.”

“DAISYYYYYYYY!!!!!” The call is coming from inside the house.

“Better get on,” Daisy says, getting up.

“You gonna need a ride home later on?”

“Might need.” She heads inside. “Thanks!”

*

In the interest of time, the Hardys take the car to the beach.

Halfway there, Ellie glances over at Alec from the passenger seat.

“Something funny,” she says. “Popped down to the lab for a few moments today.”

Alec keeps his eyes on the road. “Yeah…”

Ellie makes a sheepish face. “Think Hal might have a bit of a thing for me.”

Alec’s eyes widen and he halts the car a little too abruptly at the stop sign. “ _What_.”

Fred then starts talking at them animatedly and Aila tries to match his volume with her nonsense babbles. Soon enough, Fred is yelling at Aila to be quiet and then Aila starts crying. Ellie turns around and reaches back to intervene.

When they make it to the beach, Fred immediately takes off running toward the sea, shouting something about Aquaman. Ellie yanks her shoes off and runs after him, her knee-length flowy dress blowing behind her.

Alec and Aila bring up the rear, slowly following. He has the baby in one arm and their beach bag slung over his shoulder. Aila is already fussing with her floppy hat, which is loosely tied at her chin. The truth is, it’s nearing sunset and she doesn’t _really_ need to be protected from the sun’s harsh rays, but Alec could not resist putting it on her.

They settle where Ellie’s shoes have landed, several feet from the water. He manages to get out their blanket and unfurl it on the sand, all while carrying a restless Aila. Alec plops her down on the blanket and sits down beside her. She crawls around the blanket, confused by the lumpiness of the sand beneath it. Then she sits still and focuses on trying to get her hat off. She doesn’t seem to have even noticed the ocean yet, the waves merely white noise to her ears.

Ellie walks back toward the blanket while Fred continues to splash in the water, near the shore. The skirt of her dress is partially soaked and her hair is already windblown. She’s grinning as she collapses onto the blanket next to the baby and unties her hat for her.

“Torturing the poor thing,” Ellie says, tossing the hat into the beach bag.

A bit of sand blows their way, causing Aila to frown very, very hard. Ellie brushes a hand across Aila’s face, ridding her of the excess sand.

“You’re fine, baby.”

Alec is looking at her curiously. “You want me to tell me more about this Hal thing?”

“ _No_ ,” she replies. “I want to introduce our baby to the sea.”

Ellie stands and sweeps Aila into her arms, then holds a hand out to Alec. He takes it and hops up to standing.

“Ready?”

“Let me have her,” he says.

She looks at him uncertainly. “You want to do it?”

He nods. “The wee lass and I are gonna face the open water together.”

Ellie hands over the baby with a slightly nervous but encouraging smile. She walks toward the water, with an eye on Fred, then glances back to watch them.

Alec stands with his feet in the water, wind blowing. Aila’s eyes are wide with surprise and amazement as she looks around, taking it all in. The relentless wind has her a little miffed but otherwise she appears mesmerized.

“Mumma, come on!” Fred calls out.

“Just a minute, love!”

“All right, darlin’,” Alec says, with a kiss to the baby’s cheek. “Let’s give it a go then.”

He crouches down and holds Aila upright between his legs, waiting for the tide to roll back in. Ellie is waiting with bated breath. The water rolls in, crashing into their feet, spraying their faces. Aila instantly starts kicking her legs, totally flabbergasted by the sensation, and lets out a little squeal. The water rolls out again. Aila looks up at Alec curiously.

“So far, so good,” he says, glancing up at Ellie, who is still grinning nervously.

He stands, moves in a couple feet, then crouches down with her again. Ellie holds her breath again as the tide begins to roll back in.

As the water washes over her chubby little legs, Aila kicks them again, her whole body bouncing, and a squeal quickly gives way to an infectious giggle.

“Atta girl, Aila!” Ellie calls out, thoroughly delighted.

Aila looks back at Alec again, as if to make sure he’s enjoying it too. He can’t help grinning back at her.

“Yeah? You like that, eh?”

They move in a little further. Alec lifts her up, then dunks her in up to her knees. She continues to giggle and squirm happily. While the tide is out, he sticks her feet in the wet, viscous sand and she loses her mind, kicking glops of sand around with her feet. Then the water rolls back in and surprises her and she cries out with delight.

“Oh my sweet bug!” Ellie wades closer to them, clapping her hands together.

Aila grins up at her mother. Then she tries to squirm out of Alec’s hands and launch herself into the sand, but his grip on her is firm. She starts to whine a little, but then the tide comes back in and she forgets all about it.

“Oh, I’m so relieved,” Ellie exhales.

Alec stands. “Bit further then.”

Ellie reaches for his hand and they walk in together, approaching where Fred is still splashing around. They’re about knee-deep. Aila looks around in awe at the ocean surrounding her and clings to her father’s shirt, just in case.

“She can’t swim yet,” Fred reminds them helpfully.

The sun begins to set on the horizon. Fred turns to stare at it.

“The sun goes away, but it comes back,” he says to his sister, lest she be worried.

Aila is bouncing happily in Alec’s arms.

“Looks like we’ve got a little water baby on our hands,” Ellie says proudly.

“Mm.” Alec rubs Aila’s back. “Certainly got _that_ bit of your mum, didn’t you, darlin’.”

“You all right?” She squeezes his arm, her expression flashing to one of careful concern.

Aila lets out a squeal when Fred bursts up from underwater.

“The people I love most are happiest in the sea,” he says, glancing down at her with a smile.

“Daddy, watch me!” Fred pinches his nose and disappears into the water again.

Alec feels a brief pang of fear, then Fred pops up again, and Aila squeals again.

“Did you watch?!”

“Well done, lad!” Then he looks down at Ellie again, contentedly. “I’ll manage.”

***


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I know that high school graduations aren't a thing in the UK but I couldn't stop picturing this for Daisy as a much-needed right of passage so I am exercising my right as a fiction writer and bestowing this American tradition upon Broadchurch.

On Saturday morning, Ellie awakes to the sound of their central cooling system kicking on. She smiles, eyes still closed. The old house hadn’t had central air. With a yawn, she tries to stretch, but is thwarted by a heavy weight bearing down on the lower half of her body.

“Mm.” She smiles again, reaching down to feel Alec attached to her.

His head rests on her ribcage just underneath her breasts, his arm draped over her stomach, knees bent so their legs are tangled together. She has no idea how he manages to find this crunched up position _comfortable_ , but she’s learned to stop asking such questions.

She scratches the back of his neck as he begins to stir, yawning against her body.

“’Wake?” He asks her.

“Mm-hmm.”

“Time is it?”

She blindly reaches for the mobile on her nightstand. “Early,” she replies, plopping it back down.

He nuzzles against her ribs. “Bright out.” Though he’s not yet opened his eyes.

After a moment of quiet, Ellie says, “Dreamt that the baby could swim. Like a little fish.”

He smiles, kissing her through her t-shirt. “Cute little fish.”

“Yes.”

Last night, they’d gone to bed early, before Daisy and Tom had returned home. After putting the little ones to bed and unwinding with a glass of wine and the first half of Graham Norton, Alec set his mobile alarm for midnight, the teenagers’ Friday night curfew, a reminder to check to see they’d gotten home. The alarm set, they retired to their bedroom, made love slowly and languidly, a grateful celebration of their lovely evening at the beach, then dropped off. At midnight, Alec had drowsily roused and trudged down the hallway, checking first Tom’s bedroom then Daisy’s attic bedroom. Safe and sound. Then back into bed and Ellie’s arms. _Not a bad life_ , is the last thing he thought to himself before dropping off again.

“You ready for today?” Ellie asks, still rubbing his back.

“No.”

“Babe.” She raises her head and props herself up on her elbows. “Daisy is _so happy_.”

He grunts his acknowledgment. “I’ll be good, I promise.”

“Take your grumpy out on me, if you have to, all right? Let her enjoy herself.”

He slides the palm of his hand back and forth just below her belly button. “Take somethin’ _else_ out on you.”

Ellie raises an eyebrow. “Is this you procrastinating starting your day?”

His finger slip past the waistband of both her pyjama pants and her knickers. “Yep.” He readjusts himself, propping himself up on one elbow to mouth at her breast through the thin fabric of her t-shirt.

“Ah, okay then,” she acquiesces easily.

Maybe it’s the nearly four years he went without sex before they got together, but whatever it is, Ellie is quite fine with the fact that he tends to use sex to avoid or procrastinate. There are many, many worse ways he could channel that. And besides, she has learned that the best way to get him to talk through his feelings is to let him shag her first. He’s entirely pliable in his post-coital moments.

Alec, meanwhile, feels very fortunate that he has fallen in love with a woman that he _wants_ to shag constantly. Makes it much easier to deflect and distract.

He goes down on her first, just so she’s clear on what she’s getting out of the deal, then she lets him fuck her on all fours. _Lets_ is perhaps an inaccurate term. At that point, she’s begging him to.

The baby is heard babbling through the monitor in the seconds after Alec comes, but Ellie is still on the edge.

“Turn it off, turn it off,” she hisses. She’s so close she’s practically in tears.

Alec manages to swipe it off the nightstand with his arm and the sound becomes muffled enough for him to push her over. She gasps and cries out in her pillow and her body goes limp. He rolls off her and lies on his back, still panting heavily. She turns her face out of the pillow to look at him.

“Don’t think that just because the baby is up I’m not gonna make you talk,” she mutters.

He comes back to life quickly. “Ah, well, um…can’t just leave her there.” He sits up. She reaches out to grab him but he just manages to avoid her gasp. “So sorry, must go.”

He pulls on his boxers and throws his t-shirt on.

“ _Alec_!” She turns onto her side

“Sorry, Aila, what was that??” He calls out as he runs out the door, closing it behind him. “Daddy’s comin’!”

Ellie groans and pulls the duvet over her head.

*

The morning proceeds while teetering just on the edge of chaos.

Tom is the easiest. He puts on a nice shirt and trousers without much fuss. He’s ready to go long before anyone, joined by Erin in the living room and playing video games in the meanwhile. Fred is _only_ interested in climbing trees and sneakily digging holes in the back garden – he finds the notion of changing into something respectable to be utterly preposterous. But then Ellie spots one of said garden holes, mid-chase, and plants herself next to it, hands on her hips.

“ _Fred David Hardy, you are in so much trouble!_ ”

Fred freezes, ironically enough next to one of his other sneaky holes. “I didn’t do it!” He’s been trying to see how many small holes he can dig before someone notices. He fills them with tiny matchbox cars.

“Oh, you didn’t, then who did?” Ellie snaps back.

“A BUNNY!”

“You get upstairs _right now_ and change before I take away all of your Legos!” She demands. “And I mean _all of them_.”

“MY DEATH STAR?”

“Bloody right your Death Star, now go!”

Fred runs full speed back into the house. Alec is tasked with supervising Fred while he gets Aila sorted. She is to wear a sparkly mint green onesy with a frilly elastic band ballet skirt, gifted by her Auntie Greer.

Speaking of whom, Greer arrives just in time to watch Fred zoom past her into the dining room, to make sure all of his Legos are still there.

“HELLO!” She calls out.

“HELLO!” Ellie calls back from her bedroom. “Make yourself at home!”

Greer wanders into the living room, where Tom and Erin are still playin video games. She immediately deflates.

“Ach, christ’s sake, don’t you lot ever do anythin’ else?!”

Ellie sits at her vanity doing her makeup, wearing a sleeveless, flowy sundress. When Alec walks in with Aila, she immediately snorts with laughter. In addition to her fancy outfit, she is wearing a matching green headband with a bow on it. She is also wearing deep frowny face.

“Oh good lord,” Ellie laughs.

Aila reaches up and tries to pull off the headband, with no success.

“Steady on, lass, just have to let Auntie Greer see you in it once, then we can bin the thing,” Alec assures her.

He places her down on the floor where she sits and continue trying to rid herself of the headband. Ellie twists her hair and gathers it into a clip, sweeping it off her neck. This is Alec’s cue to swoop in and kiss her shoulder.

“Careful, don’t muss me.” She dabs a little more concealer under her eyes with her pinky.

“Don’t need all that that,” Alec tells her, sitting on the edge of the bed nearby.

She eyes him via the mirror. “Do you have any idea how many photos are going to be taken today?”

“Mostly of _Daisy_ , I’d think.”

“Bollocks, we’ve got the whole family in their Sunday best, we’re going to bloody well get as much as we can out of it,” she replies.

Yet another thing for Alec to feel morose about. She catches a glimpse of his disappointment in the mirror.

“Stop that.”

Aila crawls over to her chair and tries to pull herself up. “Duh duh duh,” she babbles.

“Ooh, that’s a new one,” Ellie says, lifting Aila up and placing her on her lap.

“Sounds remarkably like – “

“It’s not _Dada_.”

He straightens. “Not any less than _mmmm-muh_ is Mumma.”

Aila turns to look at him with a smile of recognition. “ _Mmmm-muh_ ,” she says proudly.

"That's right." Alec nods.

Ellie glances down at Aila’s bare feet. “Didn’t put her shoes on her?”

“She can’t bloody walk.”

“It’s all part of her _outfit_ , Alec. God’s sake.”

He stands in defiance. “She’s eight months old!”

Ellie stands with the baby in her arms. “Come on, baby love, we’ll go get your shoes.”

Alec trails after them into the nursery. Ellie pulls tiny green shoes out of the drawer and sets Aila on top of the changing table.

“Blimey those _are_ cute,” he mutters under his breath.

As soon as Ellie gets them on, Aila starts kicking her feet against the changing table and is delighted by the noise it makes. Ellie picks her up again and heads for the door.

“Daisy!” She calls out as they pass the stairs to the attic. “Waiting on you, love!”

Alec follows her down the stairs. In the living room, Tom and Erin are still playing video games. Fred is now sitting on the back of the couch, immediately behind Fred, watching. Greer sits in a nearby chair, legs crossed, arms crossed, clearly unimpressed.

“So sorry to leave you alone with the hooligans,” Ellie says, breezing in.

“Ah!” Greer hops out of the chair. “There’s my gorgeous lass.” She whisks Aila out of Ellie’s arms. “Lookin’ sharp too, if I may say.” She kisses Aila’s cheek. “Auntie Greer knows how to dress a gal, does she not?”

Ellie chuckles, exchanging a glance with Alec, then kisses Greer on the cheek. “So good to have you with us this weekend.”

Alec approaches from behind Ellie and kisses his sister as well. “Thanks for bein’ here, Greer.”

“Are you jokin’? Wouldn’t miss it,” Greer replies. “Where’s the lady of the hour anyway?”

“Primping and preening, I imagine,” Ellie answers, then she snaps her fingers at Fred. “Oi. Off the back of the couch.”

Fred guiltily slides down the cushion and seats himself in between Tom and Erin. Alec places a hand at Ellie’s back.

“What’s got _him_?” He asks her quietly.

“Got cross with him earlier about those bloody holes in the garden,” Ellie replies. Then she looks at Greer. “Been testing boundaries lately, that one has.”

“To be fair, he’s had a lot on,” Alec reminds her.

Aila puts Greer’s necklace in her mouth.

“Hey, hey.” Alec lurches forward to handle it, but Greer waves him off.

“Chose this necklace on purpose for this reason, she’s fine.”

The doorbell rings. Ellie sprints for the hall. “I’ve got it.”

On the other side of the front door is Tess, in a nice suit and skirt. Ellie finds herself smirking, thinking that if nothing else, she and Alec had _that_ in common.

“Come in, come in,” Ellie beckons her, stepping back.

“All right, Ellie?”

“Yeah, yeah, how’s it with you?”

Tess nods with a closed-lipped smile. “Good good.”

Tess is naturally ushered into the living room with the rest of the family. They offer a few tepid hellos.

“Tess,” Alec says, lightly kissing her cheek.

“Alec, good to see you.”

Greer nods at her, too preoccupied with the baby to make her greeting physical. “Hello, Tess.”

“Greer.” Tess looks around helplessly. “Where’s Daiz then?”

“Oh, I’ll go get her,” Ellie replies, shaking her head.

She bounds up the stairs, then up another set of stairs, to knock on Daisy’s bedroom door.

“Daiz? We’re all met, lovely, all that’s missing is you,” Ellie calls. “You’re going to be late for your own graduation.”

Daisy opens the door, then goes back to stand in front of her mirror.

“Greer’s downstairs, and so’s your mum. I’d say we’ve got less than five minutes before Fred finds a way to ruin his nice clothes before we’re even out the door,” she continues. 

“Sorry,” Daisy says a bit apprehensively. “Just…a bit much, you know? All eyes on me, that sort of thing.”

With a knowing sigh, Ellie takes a seat at the end of Daisy’s bed. “This weekend’s all about you, love, you’d better get used to it.”

“Don’t love people lookin’ at me all the time.” She glances down at her shoes.

Ellie offers her a closed-lipped smile. “Like your dad in that way. He wants the success without all the attention.”

“Yeah.” Daisy exhales, plopping down beside Ellie on the bed. “Can I tell you something?”

“Course.”

“Mum and I’ve been talking,” she begins. “Seems like a good idea for me to go to Sandbrook for a bit this summer. Spend some time with her, with my old friends, with her family.”

“Well, of course,” Ellie agrees. “We’ve been expecting as much.”

“…For a month.”

“ _Oh_.”

“…D’you think that’s too long?” Daisy asks nervously.

The surprise on Ellie’s face quickly dissolves. “No, actually, I think that’s about right, now you say it. Your time out there should be…you know, relaxed. Fun. Not all crammed together and hectic. Best to take your time with it all.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, absolutely,” Ellie agrees. “The summer before uni is an important one, lovely. It feels like the end of the world. You’re trying to do so many things at once – relax, have fun, _prepare_ , hit all the spots you’ll miss, savour your time with all the _people_ you’ll miss. Plus there’s all that time you’ll need to spend fretting and having an early life crisis.”

Daisy cringes. “…Really?”

“Going away for uni is a big deal, Daiz. And it doesn’t hit you until after you’ve graduated school. One milestone at a time, as it were.”

“So you’re saying come, like, Monday, I’ll be a raging mess.”

“…Probably, yeah.”

Daisy nods thoughtfully, looking down at her lap. “Dad’s going to be cross.”

“About Sandbrook?”

She nods again.

“Well. Not for long he isn’t,” Ellie insists. “I’ll make certain of it.”

Daisy looks up. “He’s already on edge about it all as it is. Me leaving in the fall.”

“He’ll be fine, love. You do what you need to do. I’ll take care of your father.”

By the time Ellie manages to drag Daisy downstairs, Lucy and David have arrived. Ellie corrals everyone, using her Mum voice, while Alec just stands back and lets her lead.

“All right, you lot, off we go!” She shouts. “Head on out and pick a car! Last one out has to drive with Old Man Hardy ten miles under the speed limit!”

Everyone goes running out the door. Alec glares at Ellie grumpily as she grins and disappears.

*

Applause in between each graduate’s name has been forbidden. They are to save their applause until the end. This is a shame, Ellie thinks, because one Daisy Hardy has an entire row of family there to support and celebrate her.

At the center aisle sits Tess, followed by Alec, Ellie, a fidgety Fred, Greer holding Aila, Tom, Erin, Lucy, and David. The night before Ellie had pictured them all leaping to their feet, hooting and hollering when Daisy’s name was called. When Daisy accepts her diploma, Ellie hopes that the sight of the full row alone will bolster her.

Ellie keeps her arm around the back of Alec’s chair, her hand frequently traveling upward to lovingly scratch at the hair at the back of his neck. She has her legs crossed and Alec keeps a hand on her knee, squeezing it whenever his emotions threaten him. It feels strange for him to be sitting next to Tess. He cannot put his finger on exactly why, but the close proximity is odd and breeds a familiarity that largely no longer exists.

When Daisy’s name is called and she crosses the stage, Ellie kisses his shoulder then lays her head upon it, smiling serenely with tears in her eyes. Alec squeezes her knee tightly. She can feel his breath catching as he exhales. Then, unexpectedly, he turns to look at Tess. They share the smile of proud parents, then redirect their gazes once more.

Aila is blissfully well-behaved during the ceremony. She babbles a bit here and there, but Greer is instructed simply to pop her pacifier back in her mouth whenever it seems to rise in volume. Aila accepts her fate like a champ. This is a child who, oddly enough, seems to be able to read the room.

When it’s over, Daisy is smothered with hugs and kisses. An impatient Ellie puts an end to it fairly quickly though, determined to get them all some place for impromptu family portraits. Tess offers, a bit uncomfortably, to be their photographer. Ellie, in return, takes several pictures of Tess and Daisy, and even manages to convince Alec to appear in one with them.

From there, they all head to Daisy’s favorite restaurant, an Ethiopian place just outside of town that she and Ellie had discovered nearly two years earlier. They have a very large reservation and are seated at several tables that had been pushed together. Ellie and Alec are separated somewhere in the chaos of seating and end up at opposite ends of the table. Alec spends most of lunch unable to keep his eyes off his very impressive and suddenly quite grown up daughter. Conversation swirls around him and he mostly manages to half-smile and nod at the right times, but his mind is elsewhere. Now and then, Ellie throws him an encouraging smile from across the table.

Halfway through lunch, Chloe shows up, breezily and full of apologies. She’s at college in Leeds now, having finished school the year before Daisy, and her train had been delayed. They are shuffle a bit as Chloe pulls in a chair next to Daisy’s. Alec is then disturbed from his reverie by a whiny Fred, who insists he cannot eat anything on all the table, as it’s all “disgusting.” Even the plain rice they’d ordered for him goes uneaten. Alec suspects this is more about the lack of attention placed upon him throughout this day and much less about the food.

“Don’t eat then,” Ellie tells Fred from across the table. She spots Alec leaning over to whisper in Fred’s ear and then shouts, “And don’t you dare promise him 99s after this!”

Busted.

“Sorry, mate,” Alec tells him ruefully.

A few minutes later, a very sleepy Aila starts to cry. Normally, when Aila is tired, she simply becomes quiet and lethargic, staring off into space until she is put to bed. But when she’s not in direct contact with one of her parents, a tired Aila immediately becomes cranky and upset. As Greer tries to console her, Ellie simply gets up and moves around the table to her wooden high chair.

“She’s just knackered,” Ellie says calmly. “Missed out on her morning nap.”

She picks Aila up and, after popping her pacifier in her mouth, the baby lays her head on Ellie’s chest. Ellie kisses her head and pats her back.

“There’s my sweet baby.”

For a while, Ellie walks around the table with Aila, rocking her, but still staying involved in the conversation as the baby’s eyelids grow heavy. Alec’s gaze follows them around unabashedly. He could watch them together all day. Soon the table becomes too rowdy and cacaphonous. She silently slips away and steps outside of the restaurant, finding a bench along the sidewalk. When she sits, she gently transfers Aila from her chest to into her cradled arms. Aila yawns and nuzzles her face into Ellie’s breast, easily falling asleep. Ellie finds the moments where she can actually appreciate her sleeping baby to be quite magical. She takes great pride in her ability to calm Aila instantly simply by holding her. And now that her boys have grown and are growing up, she knows how important it is to be grateful for these quiet moments, to find solace in them. This is her last baby and she won’t be a baby forever.

She’s enjoying the peace of the sparsely populated side street when suddenly the front door of the restaurant bangs open and Alec comes barreling outside.

“A bloody month!” He exclaims. “She’s _right_ on the precipice of leavin’ for _good_ and Tess snags her for entire month! And waits until the last soddin’ minute to _tell_ me.”

“Shh, shh, shh.” Ellie waves a hand at him violently.

“She’s goin’ to Sandbrook for a _month_ , Ellie!” He whisper-screams at her.

She simply stares him down with her steadfast brown eyes, watching as his chest heaves with anger. Aila stirs a bit in her arms.

“Go to the car and get her blue blanket,” she says firmly.

He grimaces at her in confusion. “ _Wha_?”

“Go to the car, now, and get your daughter’s blue blanket. She won’t stay asleep for long without it.” Her eyebrows narrow in his direction. “Go.”

He sighs dramatically and takes off toward the car park. When he returns, blanket in hand, his movements are slower and more measured. His breathing has returned to normal.

“Here.” He hands the blanket to Ellie.

“Thank you.” She tucks it around Aila, who turns a bit and nuzzles further into her. “Good girl, love.” Then she looks up at Alec. “Sit.”

He takes a seat beside her on the bench. “You knew, didn’t you.”

“Told me before we left this morning. Had no time to warn you,” she replies. “I know this is all very distressing for you, but a month is actually very reasonable. After all, she’s going far away from Tess too. And Tess has had much less time with her the last two years, by far. And besides, she’s got her other friends there, and some of Tess’ family. It’s only right.”

He groans and leans back against the bench. “It was Tess who said it. Not Daisy.”

Ellie sighs. “Had a feeling that would happen.”

“So bloody smug.”

“Well, what’s she got to be smug about?” She snorts. “Daisy chose to live with _us_. She’s got to grab on to whatever she can. Just let her have this.”

Alec scowls. Not quite at her, just generally. “Let her have this?!”

Ellie nods emphatically. “Look at all you’ve got, Alec. And now think of all she _hasn’t_ got. She’s doing her penance, believe you me.” She nudges his foot with hers. “Remember, she loves Daiz just as much as you do.”

He nods, hanging his head. “Yeah.”

“Now. Stay here awhile.” She leans into him and very carefully transfers a sleeping Aila into his arms. “Have yourself a good think about it. By the time we all leave this restaurant, you’re going to be the accepting, magnanimous man I know you can be.”

With that, she heads back inside, leaving him on the bench with the baby. Aila happily cuddles against him in her sleep.

“Mm.” He strokes her hair lightly. “Strict but fair, your mum.”

*

Daisy decides unequivocally that they should spend the rest of the day at the beach. And it’s her day, after all. Ellie offers a sympathetic smile to Alec when the decision is made. Two days in a row at the beach is not his ideal lifestyle. But he bears it graciously.

The large group of them scatters a bit then, to change and gather the necessaries, vowing to reconvene at the beach shortly. Tess tries valiantly to beg off, insisting that she hasn’t brought her bathers with her or anything even remotely appropriate for an afternoon by the sea. But she is no match for an overcompensating Ellie, who very eagerly offers something from her own closet.

“No, no, I couldn’t possibly,” Tess declines.

“Nonsense,” Ellie replies. “You came here to spend time with your daughter and that you shall.”

When Ellie and Tess reach the house, Alec has already been there for a spell. He has sent Fred and Tom off to get changed and put Aila down in her crib for a proper nap.

He’s wondering where Ellie is at the exact moment she enters the house. He’s sitting on their bed, changed into his swim trunks and a t-shirt from Mallorca, with his mobile in hand, texting her. Then there’s a knock on the door.

“You decent?”

It’s her voice. But she’s never in her _life_ knocked on her own bedroom door and especially never had to check on his _decency_ first.

He smirks, deciding to play along. “I don’t have to be…”

Then the door opens and she pops her head in. “We’ve got company.” She steps into the room and is followed by Tess.

Suddenly Alec feels _naked_. Here he is, in his safest space, in the room where he is often his most vulnerable self, where he and his wife are extraordinarily intimate, and he feels like he’s been infiltrated. Caught. He feels like he should quickly cover up, though there is nothing that needs to be sheathed.

“Tess,” he chokes out.

Ellie snorts then chuckles, heading straight for her closet. “You’d think we’d just walked in on him having a wank.”

Yes, he should have seen that coming. Very like her to make an inappropriate joke instead of acknowledging an awkward situation.

Tess hesitantly follows Ellie to the closet, surreptitiously observing the space around her. She can’t help it. It’s remarkably lived in, yet surprisingly clean for two busy parents of four. She notes his nightstand, topped with a pile of books, a half-empty glass of water, and his reading glasses. There’s a video baby monitor plugged in next to a small lamp. On her side, much the same, except an empty mug instead of a glass of water, and a bottle of lotion instead of reading glasses. The room is painted a pale lilac, it’s warm yet calming. They each have their individual closets, their own dressers, plus Ellie’s vanity. There’s a chair by his closet and a full-length mirror by hers. Near the window seat is a play pen filled with soft toys.

It’s quite jarring to her when she thinks back on the bedroom(s) _she_ used to share with Alec. The first two flats they’d shared _and_ the house they’d eventually bought had always seemed a bit…temporary. No artwork on the walls, nothing painted. Mismatched furniture that hadn’t been given much thought. It was always as if they hadn’t planned to be there long and they never considered any of it for longer than a minute.

Everything about this is different. Everything about this is…permanent.

“Just finding something for Tess to wear to the beach,” Ellie is explaining.

“Ah. Um.” Alec stands. “Right. Good.” He turns to them, and then away again. “I’ll just…go and check on the lads.”

He sweeps out of the room fairly quickly.

“I’ve got a few things that would work…a one-piece, a two-piece. Which do you prefer?”

“Um.” Tess looks around shiftily. “I think perhaps just…if you have shorts and a sleeveless top or something, that would be fine.”

Ellie turns and looks at her quizzically. “Are you sure? I mean, whatever you’re comfortable with.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m not really much for swimming, so just something light that I can wade in and out with, not look totally out of place, that would be great.”

Ellie shrugs. “All right then.”

Changing clothes in the same room as your husband’s ex-wife is about as awkward as changing clothes in the same room as your ex-husband’s new wife. But this is more or less what happens.

“Bit funny,” Tess says, after a moment or two of relative silence. “I’d never have pegged you as Alec’s type and yet look at you.”

Ellie is not insulted. She lets out a short laugh as she pulls her beach cover up over her head. “Put it that way, he certainly isn’t _my_ type either.” She stands in front of her mirror and works on pulling her hair up. “Although he does like a DS, doesn’t he.”

Tess sits down on the edge of the bed. It feels a bit weird to do so, but she figures that it would be _weirder_ to stand there awkwardly. “Types are a bit of a myth, aren’t they?”

“Likely,” Ellie replies. “Though I’m sure there are common threads within most of our…romantic partners. I will say that, luckily, the two men I’ve married have been extraordinarily good fathers. Into it, good at it. I don’t think I could cope with a partner who was…less than present with our children.”

Tess nods slowly, leaning back and staring at the oriental rug underneath her feet. “S’pose it’s funny how, despite having a _more_ demanding job, Alec appears to be even more present with your kids now than he was when Daisy was young.”

Ellie hates when this topic comes up. She says more or less what she always says. “Less to prove now, career-wise. Besides that, there’s the phenomenon of hindsight.”

“Yes.”

Ellie starts slathering herself with sunscreen and offers the bottle to Tess. “Think you’d ever get married again?”

Tess shrugs. “Probably. If the right opportunity presented itself.”

Ellie smirks privately at Tess discussing marriage like it’s a business deal.

“Still seeing Dave?”

“On and off,” Tess replies nonchalantly. “Very casual situation at this point.”

Ellie is reminded that the last time she saw Tess was when she’d brought Dave to their wedding. Not so casual _then_.

“Right then.” She turns to Tess brightly. “Shall we go?”

David offers to stay at home with the baby while she naps. He’s getting on and appreciates any opportunity to slow down for a bit. When she wakes, he’ll bring her to the beach, he says.

The kids are all running around the beach when Ellie and Tess arrive. A Saturday in the early days of tourist season is a busy one, and most of the other grads and their families seem to have had the same idea. But they’ve managed to snag themselves a prime spot, thanks to some haggling of Lucy’s. The Latimers’ have joined in – Fred is grateful to have a friend close to his age to splash around with and play Aquaman.

Alec sits on a large beach blanket with Greer. He wears his sunglasses from Mallorca and leans back on his elbows, watching. Greer has changed into a black one piece bathers, but has yet to go into the water. She sips from a canned G&T and takes in the fresh sea air.

When Ellie and Tess begin their approach, he immediately hears a sharp, “Alec James Hardy, if you’re not wearing suncreen, so help me god…”

“Bollocks,” he mutters, without even looking to see Ellie. He rummages through their beach bag.

“Runs a tight ship, your El,” Greer observes with a smirk.

Now he thinks of it, Ellie _has_ been even more firm than usual this weekend. She’s been short with Fred and less patient with _him_. Not unkind, never unkind. Just…resolved.

He immediately begins putting on the sunscreen.

“You too, Greer,” she says as she drops her bag onto the blanket. “Don’t be a hero with third degree burns like your brother here.”

From there, she and Tess head straight for the water. At first, Alec is a bit unmoored by the sight of his wife and ex-wife together, but quickly they gravitate away from one another. Ellie to the kids and to Beth and Lucy, and Tess walking pensively along the shore more or less on her own. With Ellie in her two-piece and sunglasses, he’s reminded of their honeymoon and he loses himself in the reverie for a bit.

“Look at us,” Greer says eventually. “Two Hardys at the beach in Broadchurch again. Who’d have ever thought.”

Alec smiles at first, then nods solemnly. He glances furtively at her. “Have you – since – “

“No.”

“All right so far?”

“Yeah. You?”

“Yeah,” he replies. “I’ve been gettin’ used to it. Ellie is such a water baby, and now the kids are too. Brought Aila last night. Never seen her so bloody happy. Show you later.”

“Good for you,” Greer says sincerely. “Actually makin’ progress after so many years.”

“Took me long enough.”

Ellie dunks herself in the water and disappears before popping back up and surpises Fred, who cackles wildly.

“She lives for it,” Alec says with a smile.

Lucy gravitates over toward Tess and they begin to walk together. Ellie swims out farther with Beth. A race, he assumes, knowing them. He feels his heart rate rise just a little the farther she swims, but he breathes through it.

“And now you’ll spend the rest of your life in a seaside town,” Greer notes.

The notion startles him briefly. “Ah…yeah, I s’pose.”

“This is precisely what Bridget would’ve wanted for you, you know,” she adds. “Not to be sentimental, I mean it sincerely. She loved the sea. She loved comin’ to Broadchurch.”

Alec nods, looking down at his lap. “I know.”

“She’d have been mad for Ellie, _and_ those kids.”

He glances over at her. “Think you’ll go in?”

She shrugs a bit coquettishly. “Perhaps.”

“DADDY!” Fred little voice rings loud and clear. “Tom’s gonna throw me, watch!”

“Ha!” Greer throws her head back.

Alec waves back to Fred, signaling that he’s paying attention. Tom picks up his brother, miraculously up above his shoulders, and throws him forward a few feet into the water. Fred emerges, laughing and gasping for air.

“DID YOU SEE?”

“Well done, lad!”

“Lord.” Greer shakes her head. “This new _Daddy_ bit is goin’ to be the death of me.”

“You and me both.”

Beth and Ellie start swimming back toward the shore causing Alec to breathe a little easier. Then Daisy and Chloe, who are peacefully floating nearby, get jumped on by Fred and Lizzie. A cacophony ensues. Then Ellie, soaking wet and dripping, strides out of the water toward him.

“Oh, husband!” She calls out mischievously.

He fixes her with a skeptical but intrigued glare. “Yes, wife.”

She crouches down before him and kisses him, pushing him backward a little.

“Join me,” she says, smiling against his lips.

“Ah…” He hesitates.

“Greer can amuse herself, can’t you, Greer?”

Greer smiles and tips her sunhat in their direction. Ellie reaches for his arms and pulls him up. She throws her arms around his neck and he shivers.

“Cold,” he complains.

She plants kisses all over his face. “Come on.”

Ellie takes his hand and leads him to the water. He stands behind her, both of them up to their calves and knees respectively, and wraps his arms around her waist, kissing her neck.

“Get a room!” Beth calls out, sticking out her tongue at them, then she dives underneath the water.

Alec kisses underneath her ear. “You and Tess’ve become quite friendly.”

“We’re making do,” Ellie replies, covering his hands on her own. “She’s off with Lucy now, did you see?”

“Mm-hmm.” He nuzzles her neck. “Were quite friendly at the weddin’, and at your baby shower.”

“Fine by me if they can manage to occupy each other at these events,” she says.

He nods, then grazes his lips over her shoulder. “Am I the only one who feels like this day has gone on for weeks?”

She leans back against him, tilting her head to the side with a happy sigh. “Almost at the end now. We’ll go home and order bloody pizza or something, call it a night. Sure everyone will be exhausted.”

Then she turns around in his arms. “Up for a bit of a swim? Impress your sister?”

He thinks about it. “…Yeah, all right.”

“Can stop anytime you like.”

This time, he leads _her_ farther out. He walks backwards, holding onto both of her hands, and slowly drags her along. She’s grinning with pride and it buoys him in a way he hasn’t felt in a long time. When they’re in over their waists, he stops. She waits, letting him set the pace. Without warning, he dunks himself under water, then pops back up, folding his hair back again and rubbing the water out of his eyes. She’s all lit up.

“Very nice, babe,” she says through her grin. “Windblown and sea swept is a _very_ good look on you.”

Now that they’re farther out, Alec feels more comfortable gathering her fully into his arms and kissing her. She snakes her arms around her neck and he lifts her up and spins her once around.

“Not sure this qualifies as swimming, but I’ll take it,” Ellie laughs.

He holds onto her thighs and she wraps her legs around him. “Good ‘cause this is as far as I’m goin’.”

From the beach, Lucy and Tess turn and catch a glimpse of them, looking out with their hands shielding their eyes from the sunlight.

Lucy shakes her head. “Bloody animals. Can’t be left alone for a sodding _moment_.”

Tess merely smiles politely.

“Oi. Sorry,” Lucy says sheepishly. “You’re not – does it bother you?” She starts them walking again.

“Well. I don’t _love_ it,” Tess confesses with a short laugh. “But it’s not as if…I mean, I’m happy for Alec. Be nicer for me, of course, if there relationship was a little less…obstentatious, but I suppose I can’t begrudge them. They both have what they need. And it wasn’t what I needed, so it’s just as well.”

“Right.” Lucy nods. “Makes sense. I feel much the same honestly. Though I reckon I do give El quite a bit of shite about it. Just for fun.”

Tess smiles genuinely now, brushing some errant hair out of her face. “As well you should.”

“I think the thing that really gets me, you know, that really cuts me up, is how secure they are,” Lucy says. “Not an ounce of doubt or uncertainty there. They might get a bit jealous here and there but it always seems like it’s for _fun_. To keep things a bit spicy. They never seem to actually _worry_. Whatever happens, they’ll be fine, the two of them. They truly believe there’s not one single thing out there that could part them. I cannot even _imagine_ feeling that way. Don’t think I’ve ever been one hundred percent certain about _anything_.”

“Mm. Must be nice for them,” Tess replies. “But I’m with _you_ there.”

From far off, Alec and Ellie spot David traversing down the beach with Aila in his arms. They swim back toward the shore together.

Greer is immediately on her feet when David approaches. Aila, now rested and refreshed, is bright-eyed and bouncy. She notices the ocean instantly this time and teems with excitement.

“There’s the wee lass!” Greer says enthusiastically, reaching out to grab her from David.

“Gettin’ too old for all this,” David exhales, plopping down onto the blanket.

“Ah, buck up,” Greer replies, smushing the baby in her arms. “Would ya rather be sat alone in front of your telly dozin’ off to another _Coronation Street_?”

David merely scoffs.

Ellie and Alec emerge from the water.

“There’s our girl,” Ellie exclaims happily, clasping her hands together.

Aila bounces enthusiastically.

“Ready for another dip in the sea with Daddy?”

She smiles at Alec and nods toward Aila. He’d thought _she_ might want to bring Aila in today, but she seems to be feeling generous. He suspects it may have something to do, again, with impressing his sister. And possibly her sister. And likely his ex-wife. And her father.

“Go on.”

Aila holds her arms out to Alec eagerly. “Babababababa.”

Ellie grins. “She remembers.”

He pulls Aila into his arms. “Only been twenty-four hours.”

“She’s eight months old, let me have this.”

All eyes seem to be on them as Alec walks Aila to the water. Even Lucy and Tess have stopped nearby. He approaches it exactly as he had last night, wading in to his calves, crouching down, and holding her upright between his legs. This time, even _before_ the tide rolls in, Aila is cackling with anticipation and clapping her hands. Ellie gasps – this is the very first time they’ve seen her clap her hands without missing.

It’s an impressive sight to most of the adults watching. Alec, facing the water with relative serenity; Aila, thoroughly delighted and happy as a clam; and the two of them, together, an outrageously adorable twosome. Every time the water hits her legs, Aila glances back up at Alec’s face, grinning, looking to him to confirm the joy of what she’s just experienced. Ellie snaps a few photos, hoping to catch it.

Lucy puts a hand on Tess’s arm; she’s frozen where she stands.

“All right?”

Tess nods uncertainly, crossing her arms then uncrossing them, not wanting to betray her feelings.

“LOOK AT ME!” Fred exclaims suddenly, not to be outdone by his baby sister. He then does what he believes to be some sort of backflip but is actually…nothing.

When he reemerges, everyone claps gamely. Feeling for the boy, Alec stands and hands Aila off to Ellie, then jumps in with him. Fred squeals as Alec swim-chases him. Aila, thoroughly put off by this, holds her arms out to the sea and starts whining.

“Mmmmm- _muh_ ,” she repeats over and over, pained.

Ellie takes her in the water, holding her in her arms while she herself is about thigh-deep. But it’s not the same. Aila watches Fred and Alec with a wistful pout.

*

Their afternoon at the beach ends when the little ones become too cranky for it to be enjoyable for anyone else. Fred, Lizzie, and Aila can only manage so much time in the sun before they become unbearable to be around.

Greer and Tess head off to the Traders’ – together, awkwardly. Lucy drops David off at his flat, then heads home alone. The Latimers retire to their own home and the Hardys to theirs, after dropping Erin at home. Ellie orders a couple pizzas and then immediately everyone changes into their pyjamas while they wait for their order to arrive, even though it is only 7pm. They gather together in the living room cozily and Daisy gets to choose the film. Feeling merciful, she chooses one that hopefully everyone can enjoy – _Inside Out_. The pizza arrives and they eat it surrounding the coffee table, too tired to even utilize plates. Alec has a small veggie pizza all to himself and for once, finishes the entire thing.

Ellie cries through almost the entire film. Seeing this, Aila crawls from Daisy’s lap over to Ellie’s. She tries to climb Ellie’s body and starts slapping her wet cheeks with both hands while sloppily mouthing at her chin, as if that will somehow comfort her. 

Alec snorts. "She's trying to do kisses."

“Duh duh duh duh duh,” Aila says.

“SHHHH, Ailie!” Is what Fred says from the floor.

When the film ends, Tom heads off to bed and Ellie goes up with Fred. Alec puts Aila in her high chair while he tidies up. Then Daisy comes into the kitchen, her makeup refreshed, changed to go out.

Alec does a double take. “Oh, are you – “

“Some friends are getting together at Mandy’s,” Daisy announces. “Thought I’d pop by.”

He realizes that it’s only 9pm. “Ah. Right.”

“…Maybe a 1am curfew tonight?” She asks with her fingers crossed.

Alec sighs and folds his arms across his chest. “…All right, yeah.”

“YES!”

“But we get a text at midnight confirming your coordinates.”

“Deal.” Aila holds out her hand to Daisy and Daisy holds it, without thinking much about it. “Dad. You’re not still……..are you cross about earlier? About me going to – “

“No,” Alec answers quickly, shaking his head. “No, darlin’, ‘m sorry about that.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before Mum could – I know how she is, so that was down to me,” Daisy explains. “Did tell Ellie though.”

“I know. ‘s all right. Truth is, it makes sense, and I know that.”

Daisy smiles and nods, then looks down at Aila, still holding her hand. “This one’s gonna forget all about me after a month.”

“Nah,” he replies. “She’s astute. And you’ll Facetime with her, yeah?”

“Oh yeah,” Daisy agrees. “Course.” She squeezes Aila’s hand. “I do think it’s kind of brilliant, having a sister, you know.”

Alec is a bit startled by this conversational direction. “….Y’do?”

“Yeah. It’s quite cool actually. I get to really watch someone else grow from nothing. Never gotten to do that before,” Daisy tells him. “And it kind of makes it easier, me leaving.”

Alec leans back against the counter thoughtfully. “Yeah?”

“I mean, the boys too, but Aila especially, I think. Knowing you’ll be well occupied after I move out.”

He smiles. “Fair enough then.”

“All right.” She pulls her hand out of Aila’s. Aila frowns. “Best be off. I’ll text later.”

Daisy kisses Alec on the cheek then heads for the door. “Love you, Dad!”

“Love _you_ , darlin’.” Then he laughs at Aila’s frown.

*

Following her extra long afternoon nap, Aila of course is still wide awake at nearly 10pm. Ellie puts on an old episode of _Bake Off_ and they settle on the couch. Aila sits back on Alec’s lap, chewing on a soft plastic block. Ellie lies with her head on his lap as well, occupying whatever space is leftover. She quite quickly begins to doze. Aila, still chewing on the block, pats Ellie’s hair with her other hand, absently but gently grasping at it. Alec curses himself for not having his mobile on him. He’d give anything to document how adorable and peaceful this moment is. The baby makes little gurgling noises while her eyes are glued, curiously, to the telly. Alec is barely paying attention, instead replaying different moments of the day in his mind. All told, he’s quite pleased. Some moments were touch and go, mostly because of him, but he’s pleased with the way they were turned around – mostly at Ellie’s deft hand. No wonder she’s exhausted. She spent the entire day miraculously keeping everyone on their best behavior.

There are so many things in his life now that he would never be able to have without her, so many things he could never have done. She’d only scoff at him if he made this statement out loud, but he knows it’s true.

It takes about twenty minutes of quiet and the soothing sounds of _Bake Off_ for Aila to finally drop the block and start rubbing her eyes. But she’s a stubborn one. She looks up at her father as if to say “what’s next?” though Alec can see the light in her eyes fading.

“El.” He rubs her back gently, hand gliding over her hips to her thighs. “Ellie.”

She stirs a bit, groaning softly.

“Wee one’s not gonna go down until you nurse her,” he says. “She’s fightin’ it.”

Ellie yawns. “Okay.”

She sits up painstakingly, body heavy with sleep, and leans against him. She lifts up her t-shirt while Alec scoots the baby over into her arms, more or less latching her into place. Ellie continues to doze on his shoulder as Aila nurses.

“Hopeless, the two of you,” he chuckles.

Before even finishing with Ellie’s left breast, Aila is asleep, head tipped back, mouth wide open. Ellie is the same. If he got up to get his mobile now, they’d both just slide down onto the couch. And they could probably sleep there all night, unbothered.

Despite this, he very carefully picks Aila up and brings her upstairs. When he returns, Ellie is still asleep, splayed out on the couch. He switches off the telly and crouches beside her.

“El,” he whispers, stroking her hair. Maybe not the best move if he actually wants her to wake up, he realizes. He squeezes her shoulder. “Come on, love. To bed with you.”

“Sleep here,” she murmurs, sounding remarkably like Fred.

“Oh no you don’t.” He tries to coax her up.

“Sleep _here_ ,” she says again.

“And sleep without you, I don’t think so.”

“You sleep here too.”

He exhales. “Babe. Come on.”

She doesn’t budge. He pauses, thinking about it, and shakes his head.

“Fine.”

He climbs onto the couch, crawling over her, and wedges himself in between her body and the back of the couch.

She smiles, eyes still firmly closed. “Good husband.”

Alec adjusts the couch pillows a bit unless he’s somewhat comfortable, then settles in against her with his arm hooked around her torso. She unconsciously scoots back into him, happily snuggling.

He raises his head and kisses her ear. “I love you,” he whispers.

“Mm.” She shivers a bit at his warm breath in her ear. “Love you.”

When Daisy walks through the door at approximately 12:57am, she drops her keys into the bowl and then walks down the hallway toward the kitchen. She drops at the living room door when she catches a glimpse of shadowy figures on the couch. When her eyes adjust, she smiles. She fishes her mobile out of her bag. Then she snaps a photo.

***


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!

Ellie wakes up on the couch, covered by the throw blanket. Before opening her eyes she hears the excitable babbling of her tiny baby, followed by the low, gentle voice of her husband. It’s the nicest way to be roused she can think of.

Stretching out, she opens her eyes. Alec and Aila are sitting on the floor together next to the couch, building a tower out of soft plastic blocks. He places the third block down and Aila leans forward and swipes the tower over with an infectious squeal. Ellie grins.

“Morning, you two.”

Alec turns and smiles at her. Aila starts bouncing. She has now reached the point where she can more or less bounce while sitting without falling over.

“Well, look at that, darlin’. Mummy’s finally awake.”

Aila continues to bounce, grinning. Ellie slowly pushes herself up to sitting, against the arm of the couch.

“Anyone else up?” She asks groggily.

“Nah. Just the wee one.”

Ellie scoots to the edge of the couch. “Oh, just the wee one? Just the wee one, is it?” She leans down and scoops Aila into her arms. “Hello, my sweet baby love. Getting in some playtime with Daddy, are we?” She plants kisses all over her face.

“Been up since five,” Alec says.

“Time is it now?”

“6:30.” He moves closer to the couch and leans against it. “Gave her a bit of rice cereal but she didn’t eat much.”

As she starts to nurse Aila, she squints, thinking back. “Did I nurse her in my sleep last night?”

He chuckles. “More or less.”

“And I made you sleep on the couch.”

“Yes, you did. Cruel thing that you are.”

She reaches down to touch his cheek. “Sweet thing that _you_ are.”

He grimaces. “Nah.” He gives a barely perceptible shake of his head. “Purely selfish. Can’t sleep a wink without you anymore.”

“Hard to say if that’s the best or the worst thing about marriage.”

He kisses her knee then hops up off the floor. “Breakfast?”

She smiles serenely back at him. “My lovely husband.”

He scoffs as he trudges off to the kitchen. “Didn’t say _I’d_ make it.”

*

Within a few hours, the rest of the family has roused and preparations begin for the rather large party that is to take place at their house beginning late afternoon. Daisy had hoped for a daytime party, so she could attend a mate’s party in the evening, but it was determined that they must wait until late afternoon in order to keep from disturbing Aila’s afternoon nap. Late afternoon was the compromise. Daisy is grateful _now_ of course, as it meant she was able to have a lie in this morning.

Tess and Greer arrive at the house late morning, suspiciously together.

“Even had breakfast together at the hotel,” Greer whispers to Ellie, clearly impressed with herself.

Ellie makes an impressed face back and says, “Well done you.”

With Aila down for her morning nap, they dive into setting up the house for maximum capacity. They’ve had parties at the house before, but none quite so large as this is shaping up to be. Nearly Daisy’s entire class has been invited and, to keep the adults sane, their parents as well. It’s a party as much for the graduates as for the people who raised them. Younger brothers and sisters have been invited as well, for Tom and Fred’s sakes more than anything else. It’s going to be a doozy.

Alec exhaustedly enters the kitchen from the back garden to find Ellie already at work setting up a larger than normal bar on the kitchen island.

“Why have we done this?” He asks with a sigh.

“Because you cannot say no to your daughter,” she replies easily, with a closed-lipped smile. “Either of them.”

He eyes the bar. “Do we really need eleven bottles of gin?”

“Yes.”

Her unequivocal reply makes him chuckle and he drops the subject altogether. He kisses her cheek. “Thank you for all this.”

“What on earth are you thanking me for?” Ellie asks. “She’s my daughter too.”

“I know.” He plants a kiss on her neck. “I just love you.”

She grins. “Quite right.” She turns and kisses him. “Tess and Tom could probably use your help moving the furniture in the living room ‘round.”

“Right.” He grabs himself a bottled water from the fridge. “Where’s Greer gone?”

“We forgot tonic.”

“Eleven bottles of gin and no tonic.”

“You didn’t marry a party planner, Alec, I don’t know what to tell you.”

*

Fred, unhappily, has been tasked with filling the holes in the garden that he has dug. When Ellie goes outside to check on him, he has built some sort of Lego contraption _inside_ one of the holes.

She looms above him, hands on her hips, and clears her throat. Fred looks up, big brown eyes wide, lips pursed.

“What do you think you’re doing, young man?”

He narrows his eyes at her. “I _need_ the holes.”

Something about Aquaman. Something about how Aquaman’s friends apparently live inside them. Something that makes Ellie’s blood boil a bit.

“If you’re not going to do as you’re told, you can go straight to your room.”

Fred simply stares at her defiantly.

“That’s it. Upstairs. _Now_.” She points toward the house. “Go.”

Fred hops up and scurries inside, careful not to look at her. Ellie looks at the holes and sighs.

*

Alec is in the dining room setting up the trays of catered food they’d ordered when Tess appears in the doorway.

“Can I give you a hand?”

He nods. She starts unwrapping trays.

“Fine thing you have this massive house now,” Tess says. “I’m imagining you throwing Daisy’s graduation party in your little blue chalet.”

This elicits almost half a laugh from him. “Even the house on the hill wouldn’t have done.”

She glances furtively over at him. “You ever think you’d have a house like this?”

He shakes his head. “Also never thought I’d have four children and a baby at forty-eight,” he replies. Then, with a slight grunt, “We’re getting a jacuzzi next month.”

Tess lets out a laugh. “ _Really_?”

“Ellie hasn’t bloody shut up about them since our honeymoon. Had to give in finally,” he explains. “Got a good deal at least.”

She smirks. “Spoken like a true dad.”

“That’s me.” He offers her a crooked smile. “Buyin’ things in bulk and buildin’ tree swings in the back garden.”

Tess nods. “Suits you.”

“…Thanks.”

Suddenly a small boy is trying to clandestinely get their attention from the bottom of the stairs.

“Daddy!” Fred stage whispers.

Alec turns and goes to the doorway, seeing Fred press his face against the bars of the starcase.

“S’posed to be upstairs, mate.”

“Can you go get my Aquaman from outside?!” He asks desperately.

“You know I can’t do that.”

Fred’s face is suddenly stricken. “But Mumma might throw him in the bin!”

Alec points up the stairs. “Back to your room, lad, before she sees you.”

With a loud whine, Fred stomps back up the stairs.

“Hey, stop that now, you’ll wake your sister.”

“I don’t CARE!” Fred shouts back just before slamming his bedroom door.

Alec’s body tenses and he closes his eyes as he waits for possible repurcussions. Tess watches him. After a moment, he exhales again.

“All clear.”

Then the baby starts crying.

“Bloody hell.”

*

Guests begin arriving around 4pm. Daisy is both dressed up and made up, holding a glass of sparkling wine as she greets people. Remarkably grown up, Alec thinks, with a happy sort of sadness.

Ellie is still upstairs getting ready, having not had a chance until now, so Alec dutifully greets parents and family, with his junior partner Aila on his hip of course. She’s his party wingman and he relies on her inherent adorability to save him. It never lets him down.

Before long, both the house and the back garden are filled with people, many of whom Alec does not even recognize. Though truth be told he hadn’t really expected to.

Ellie finally comes down wearing a dark purple knee-length flowing skirt and a yellow sleeveless v-neck, her hair up in a clip. Greer, who appears to be bartending, makes her a G&T before she heads outside, stopping to greet people all the way. She finds Alec at the outskirts of the crowd holding Aila and announces her presence with a hand at his back.

“How’s it all going?”

“Fine?” He shrugs. He has no idea how to rate a party.

Aila holds her arms out to her mother.

“Switch?” Alec suggests.

Ellie swaps her G&T for the baby. Alec takes a sip and winces a bit at the potency of it.

“Greer’s bartending.”

“That explains it,” he replies.

“Where’s Daiz?”

“Hidden in that crowd of people, last I saw.”

Tess and Lucy are standing by the tree. She spots Beth and another mum several feet away. There’s a group of young children, Fred and Lizzie included, gathered in the distance, undoubtedly up to no good.

Alec leans down and kisses behind her ear. “Look nice.” He sniffs her hair and she laughs. “Smell nice too.”

“I _showered_.”

“Lucky me.”

Aila yanks his beard. Alec jerks backward. Ellie laughs out loud.

“She thinks you ought to shower as well.”

“Yeah, that’s what it is.”

Aila claps her hands. Ellie shifts her to her other hip then gestures at the drink. Alec holds it out to her, the straw to her lips, and she takes a long sip.

“Ta.” Her gaze drifts back to Daisy. “She seems happy.”

“Daiz? She ought to, all the trouble we’ve gone to,” Alec replies. “Hey, this isn’t the sort of do where we have to make a speech, is it?”

Ellie makes a horrified face. “Good god she’d never forgive us.”

“Right.”

Erin’s mother Carol approaches them, a bit wobbly, possibly on her second or third gin. “I am just _astonished_ at you two putting this all together, with all you’ve got on.”

Ellie laughs self-deprecatingly. “Daisy deserves it.”

“We’ve had some help, rest assured,” Alec adds.

But Carol is already transfixed by the baby, holding onto her little hand and shaking it. “I’ll never get over this _face_ , my goodness,” she says. “I’d give anything for another baby but Harry won’t have it."

Aila sticks her own free hand in her mouth and chews on it. “Yayayayaya.”

“The trick is to make it an accident,” Ellie replies with a chuckle.

Carol suddenly stares off in thought. “Or make it _look_ like an accident…” Then she wanders off.

Alec looks at Ellie. “What have you done?!”

*

Greer is relieved of her bartending duties after overserving _herself_. She joins David at the table on the patio, both of them with a cup of tea. Tom has somehow managed to gather some other boys his age in a football match in the field next door. Alec and Aila have been very strict and unyielding referees.

Fred, meanwhile, has been sent to his room again after pilfering cupcakes from the fridge before they’ve been served and offering them to the other children as well. He can be heard kicking and screaming all the way from the garden. Ellie is unmoved by his dramatics.

“You’re MEAN!” He shouts at her through the closed door. “ _MEAN_ MUMMA.”

Nonplussed, she heads back downstairs as her mobile rings. She wades through the crowd with the mobile pressed to her ear, forcing smiles at each person she makes eye contact with. Then she pockets the device as she approaches Alec in the field.

“Just got off with Donald,” she says to him. “We’ve got a missing person on the west side of town. Asian male, twenty years old. No sign of forced entry but blood found on the floor of his flat.”

“His?”

“Dunno yet. Gonna go meet SoCo down at the scene,” she replies.

“You want me to go?” In truth he spends much less time in the field these days with his promotion, only when Ellie drags him along or is in need of a partner. He misses it.

“No, no. Be here for Daisy.”

“…All right.”

She leans forward and kisses Aila’s cheek, then Alec’s lips. “Ring you from the station.”

*

Hal is in the flat when she arrives. Just as he was on Friday, he is startled by her sudden presence. Especially in that outfit.

“All right, Hal?”

“El.” He rises from his crouching position. “Dragged you away from Daisy’s party, eh?”

“It’s all right.” She glances around at the blood on the floor. “This it? Any other spots?”

“This is it. Big pool of it, indicating he sat around in it for awhile.”

“How long’s it been there, you think?” She asks, crouching down, pushing the skirt down between her legs. “Eight, nine hours?”

“Somewhere around there, yeah, ten possibly,” he replies.

She nods, standing again, and slowly explores the flat with a torchlight, the sun having just gone down. Hal watches her, glancing back down at the blood stain now and then as if focusing on the task at hand. But mostly watching her.

She whirls around finally. “Katie and Donald are back at the station interviewing a few possible witnesses, I’m going to head over. Ring me once you’ve got lab results, yeah?”

He nods. “I’ll head back over with you actually, done here for now.” 

Hal rambles on endlessly about blood and exsanguination as Ellie drives. She listens politely, finds about half of it interesting, and asks questions to keep the conversation on her level. The level of someone who is _not_ a forensic criminologist. He glances at her frequently, as if drawn in by her profile, then keeps shaking himself out of it.

When they reach the station, he disappears down into the lab while she joins Katie and Donald on the CID floor.

“Sorry about Daisy’s party,” Katie says a bit anxiously, fearing her boss’ wrath.

“Don’t apologize, Katie,” Ellie replies tersely. “This is my job. Now what’ve you got?”

*

As it gets dark, Alec finds himself standing in a group of dads. They are having a very Dad-like conversation about football and Brexit and passing on their Sea Brigade torches to their sons. Alec nurses his scotch and shifts his weight around.

“How’s it with you, Hardy?” He is asked, finally, by Erin’s dad, Harry. “New job, not-so-new wife…”

“Ah, all right, yeah,” Alec replies noncommittally.

“Life’s changed a lot since the Latimer case,” another points out.

“Yeah.” Alec nods, taking a sip.

“Small baby must be a lot to take on in middle age,” says another. “I’d be out of my head, I tell you.”

Harry nods. “Can’t wait to have my youngest out of the house next year. I’ll miss her, of course, but a little time to myself won’t go unappreciated, that’s for certain.”

“You’ve had to start all over again, Hardy.” One of them jovially slaps his back. “You were _this close_ to the finish line.”

Alec clears his throat and looks down into his nearly empty glass. “Quite pleased with it all, actually. I’ll be a true expert at fatherhood by the time the baby goes to college.”

Harry nods. “Couldn’t ask for a better partner in it all, could you?”

“No.” Alec offers him a tight-lipped smile. “No, I could not.”

“El’s a good girl,” one of the dads agrees.

“A great woman, even,” Alec amends. Then he starts to step away. “Excuse me.”

*

CID hits a wall fairly quickly. They’ve spoken to all the potential witnesses they can for the day. It’s too late in the evening to go canvassing for others. The lab has yet to come up with anything conclusive for them to study and they’re still harassing the shop across the street from the flat for CCTV.

Ellie sits outside on the steps with a packet of chips on her lap. She finishes updating Alec over the phone, then sets it down beside her. The young boy’s mother is apparently en route from Reading and she’s to determined to stick around at least until her arrival.

“Hey.”

Hal approaches from inside the station. She glances back at him, mouth full. He chuckles and sits beside her on the step.

“It’s not his.”

She blinks at him. “You’re joking.”

“Yang is O-positive, this blood on the floor is A-negative.”

“Blimey,” she exhales, then pops another chip in her mouth.

“Yeah.”

She gestures at her lap. He picks up a chip and eats one, with a smile. Her wheels are turning a mile a minute now, he can see it. He’s come to adore her like this. _Dogged_.

“His mother will be here in thirty minutes or so, I reckon,” Ellie says. “Not been able to reach his father. He’s actually local, too, apparently.”

She picks up her mobile and types a text: **Potential homocide. Blood and Yang not a match.**

“I’ll wait with you,” Hal says, taking another chip. “Brian and I will go round the flat again in the morning, look for potential missing household weapons.”

Ellie’s mobile buzzes. **Household objects missing? Also – can you pick up milk?**

“Right. Good.”

**Soco looking into it. Remember Fred gets _no_ books tonight.**

*****

Aila has fallen asleep on Daisy. What’s left of the party has been relegated to the living room and she sits on the couch surrounded by a few friends, including Chloe, Erin, and Tom.

Tom is the first to notice. He snorts. “She’s out.”

Daisy looks down. Everyone else elicits sickly sweet variation of _awww_. She feels an odd sense of pride – her baby sister has not fallen asleep in her arms for months, not since she was a tiny infant. Well, tinier than she is now.

“Gonna miss this one,” she says.

“Just this one though,” Tom adds snarkily.

Chloe nods. “Yeah. When Lizzie was born, I thought, _well, great, she’s barely gonna know who I am_ ,” she says. “But it’s all right. You facetime and you visit. Make sure everyone shows her pictures of you. Lizzie’s four now and her memory’s pretty solid, don’t have to worry. But for the next two years or so you’ll have to make an effort.” She takes a sip of her beer. “This is what happens when your parents are dumb enough to have a midlife crisis baby.”

Everyone laughs and drinks. Aila stirs a bit at the noise, then just snuggles into Daisy more.

“My dad kinda had _three_ midlife crisis babies,” Daisy jokes, pulling a face at Tom.

“Oi, come off it.” He tosses a crisp at her. It lands on Aila, who does not notice.

“Think your mum will ever?” Erin asks.

Daisy laughs out loud. Even Tom does. “Don’t be funny.”

“Dunno.” Tom shrugs. “When we were moving all the furniture round, she couldn’t stop talking about Aila.”

Daisy is aghast. “Really?”

“Asking questions about her, saying stuff about how sweet and well-behaved and funny she is. That sort of thing.”

“Jesus. Doesn’t sound like Mum at all.”

“She did say something about how she’d go bloody mad trying to take care of an infant at her age, so maybe you’re in the clear,” Tom adds.

“Bloody well hope so!”

“Parents should _not_ be allowed to have babies past forty. Past thirty-five even,” Erin says with disgust.

Tom laughs. “Under that law we wouldn’t have _Fred_ either.”

“Christ your mum is fertile.”

“Just bad at birth control,” Daisy replies with a laugh. “What she says anyway.”

Erin sips her drink then makes a face. “Weird to imagine her with your dad,” she says to Tom.

“Then don’t!” Tom recoils, grimacing.

“But you _can_ imagine her with _my_ dad?” Daisy points out, also grimacing, but a little less disgusted than Tom.

“My parents don’t shag at _all_ ,” Erin tells him, oddly smug.

“How do you even know?” Daisy’s friend Mandy questions.

“Can tell by the way they act around each other,” she replies. “Like, sort of stilted and slightly uncomfortable? You know like that thing when you know you need to clear the air with someone but you don’t know how? That’s what they’re like, all the time. Plus I’ve never once heard it, Molly either. And our house is _tiny_.”

Daisy and Tom both immediately look at each other, flush with both many awkward memories and jealousy.

“Must be bloody nice,” Tom mutters bitterly.

“Dad and Ellie literally _bought us all sound machines_ so we wouldn’t hear them having sex,” Daisy says, shuddering while still laughing. “And we _still do_!”

“This is why I like your parents,” Erin announces. “They don’t take their sexual frustration out on you because they don’t have any!”

Tom groans. “You don’t have to live here.”

“At least they’ve _tried_ keep you from hearing it,” Mandy points out. “That’s all you can ask, right? I mean they’re not going to _not_ shag just ‘cause they’ve got kids in the house. _I_ wouldn’t want to if I were married. If I had to give up sex when I had kids I’d never _have_ kids.”

“And anyway you’ve gotten a cute baby out of it,” Erin says, leaning forward to admire Aila’s adorable sleeping face.

Alec trudges into the room with a half full bin bag. “Just tidyin’, pay no mind.” He grabs a few used paper plates and plastic cups and tosses them in. Then he notices that Aila is asleep on Daisy. “Ah, bored her senseless, I see. And she was so excited to hang out with the big kids.”

Daisy snickers and raises her eyebrows at him. “You’ve become such a _Dad_.”

He puts the bin bang down. “Why does everyone keep sayin’ that all of a sudden? Been a dad for eighteen soddin’ years.”

“Yeah, but you’re in full Dad mode now,” Daisy argues.

Erin smiles at him. “Don’t worry, Mr. Hardy, you’re still a DILF.”

Tom swats her and wails in complaint. Daisy gasps out her horror.

“I actually _do_ know what that means,” Alec replies. “Ellie assures me it’s a compliment.” Then he nods at Aila. “You want me to take her?”

“Nah, she’s all right. Kind of relaxing,” Daisy answers.

“And I can take her if Daiz tires of it,” Tom adds.

Alec can’t help smiling at both of them, though it feels a bit weird to be smiling in mixed company. “All right. Give me a shout if you change you mind.”

Then he disappears with the bin bang.

*

Ellie spends forty-five minutes in her office with Yang’s mother, Susan. The interview room feels too cold, too formal. In her office they can sit on her couch and have a cup of tea. The information she gleans is of no use to them yet, but it’s all filed away for later. Mostly she listens to stories of their strained relationship, how she split with his father, and what little contact they’ve had in the last year. Ellie can’t help feeling for the woman. If she ever became estranged with her own children – god forbid – it would break her in two.

She directs Susan Yang to the Trader’s Hotel and walks her outside. After she and her suitcase are out of sight, she sits back down on the same step as earlier. Hal finds her yet again, this time with fingerprint reports. They’ll likely lead to nothing – Yang could have had any number of people over to his flat for any number of reasons – but it’s a place for them to start tomorrow morning.

“Seem a bit low,” he observes her, after they’ve gone over the report.

“Just disheartening, listening to Susan Yang,” Ellie says sadly. “Can’t imagine being so out of touch with my children. For any reason.”

He nods, as if he understands, though he has no children of his own. “You’re a good mum.”

“But it’s not just about that, is it? Susan Yang sounds to me like a decent mum herself. These things just…happen.”

“They don’t just happen, El,” Hal tells her. “It takes two to let it happen. And you would never let it get that far. That’s not who you are.”

She turns and offers him a small smile of gratitude. “Thanks.”

He places a hand on her knee. Ellie does not think much of it, but as a sign of support. And that’s how Hal means it, too. Initially. But then he’s overcome. The way she looks in the glow of the streetlights, the way her hair is lifted off her neck despite the rebellious curls that threaten to escape. Her bare, toned arms. The skirt…

“El.”

She turns to him, her expression open and thoughtful. All reason seems to rush out of his body in the moment. He lurches forward and kisses her, fervent and not at all chaste.

Ellie makes a muffled noise of surprise and jerks backwards, totally astounded. She clambers to her feet and leans against the railing for a moment, steadying herself.

“Fuck, bloody hell, Ellie, I’m sorry,” Hal says immediately. “I’m so sorry.”

“What on earth would make you think – “

“I _know_ , I know, I’m so sorry. Christ.”

Ellie looks down at the cement, hands on her hips. She takes a breath. “Gonna go get my things. Do _not_ follow me.”

He nods obediently. She takes one last flabbergasted look at him, then rushes back into the building.

*

After a very distracted drive home, Ellie arrives to find the teenagers still chatting in the living room. She drops her bag by the front door and pops her head in.

“You all still at it?” She asks genially.

“It’s only 8:45, Mum,” Tom replies with a roll of his eyes.

“Really,” Ellie exhales. “…Feels later.” She kisses the top of Daisy’s head. “Carry on then.”

She continues down the hallway into the kitchen, where Alec and Greer are sharing a single glass of scotch between them.

“Look, we’re bein’ good,” Greer says upon catching Ellie in the doorway.

“I see.” Ellie comes up behind Alec’s chair and runs her fingers through his hair quickly, looking down at him. “Fred still up?”

“I just put him down,” Greer says.

“So yeah,” Alec replies. “He’s still up.”

“Good.” She kisses his temple then dashes out of the kitchen again.

“Good sign, she’s home before midnight,” Greer says to him.

“Maybe,” Alec answers suspiciously, eyes following Ellie out. “Maybe not.”

*

Ellie can see the light of Fred’s tiny bedside lamp shining through his closed bedroom door. She quietly opens it. Fred quickly tucks a book underneath his blanket.

“I’m not reading!”

“No, ‘course not,” Ellie replies with amusement. “Just have your light on to stare at the ceiling.”

“Yup.”

She takes a seat on the edge of his bed. She fishes the hardcover children’s book out from underneath the covers and sets it gently on the nightstand. Fred regards her guiltily.

“Are you still angry with me?” He asks quietly, averting his eyes.

“No, love. I’m not angry. And I’m sorry I got so cross today. And yesterday.”

Fred is waiting. This seems like a trick, even to him.

“But I do think you and I need to have a little chat, don’t you?”

Fred nods slowly, though truthfully he’s not sure.

“You’re getting older now, my sweet. You’re not a little boy anymore.”

“No,” Fred agrees. “I’m big.”

“You _are_ big. And now that you’re big, you have more responsibilities,” Ellie says. “You have to be more careful, with your words _and_ your actions. Because they mean something, you know. You can hurt people. This means you have to be a better listener than _ever_.”

Fred nods. “Hmm.”

“You have to listen very hard to everyone around you and you have to do as your told when it comes from a grown up. And you can’t get upset.”

“What if I don’t like it?”

“There are lots of things you won’t like,” she explains gently. “I do things every single day I don’t like. But I do them because they’re the right thing to do.”

“What if I can’t tell what the right thing is? Sometimes the right thing and the wrong thing seem the same,” Fred insists.

“That’s true. But if you really _think_ about it, you’ll know.” She caresses his forehead, stroking back his curly hair. “Sometimes you’ll make a mistake and that’s okay. We don’t always do the right thing when we should. But it’s important to say sorry when that happens. It’s important to be honest about it. When you’re honest and you say sorry, things get better."

Fred thinks about this, then nods. “Okay, Mumma.”

“Does that make sense?”

“I think so.” He shifts a bit until his head lays on his pillow. “I’ll try.”

“Good.” She leans down and kisses his cheek. “I love you _so much_ , more than anything in the whole world.”

“More than chocolate.”

“ _So_ much more.”

His arms circle her neck and holds her there. “Me too.”

She smooches him again then sits up. “Sleep well, little love.”

“Night, Mumma.”

*

When Ellie returns the kitchen, Alec is standing at the sink with a tea towel slung over his shoulder. She nearly swoons at the sight of him – tall, handsome, and tidying up.

“Greer’s gone?” She asks, leaning against the door frame limply.

He nods. “Take it you caught Fred.”

“I was wrong to say no books,” she admits. “Of all the ways to punish him, that’s not it.”

He switches off the faucet and dries his hands on the tea towel. “Yeah, sounds right.” He tosses the towel on the counter. “Look like you need a drink.”

“ _Please_.”

Alec grabs a short glass from the cupboard and pours what’s left of the nearest bottle of Beefeater into it. Then he adds just a splash of tonic and half a slice of lemon, the way she likes it. He kisses her cheek as he hands the glass to her.

“How was the mother?” He asks.

“Sad. Scared. Not very helpful, alas.” She takes a long sip then closes her eyes. “Sorry to saddle you with the clean up.”

“Not so bad,” Alec tells her. “Tess and Greer helped quite a bit. Tom and Daiz were on baby duty. Quite sweet actually.”

She smiles. Then she reaches out and holds onto his sleeve distractedly. He takes a step forward and places a hand at her waist.

“What is it?” He asks. “Was the scene more gruesome than you let on?”

Ellie shakes her head, no. After a brief pause she says, “Have to tell you something.”

His response is merely to narrow his eyes and squeeze her hip.

She forces herself to meet his gaze when she says it. “Hal kissed me tonight.”

Alec’s entire face contorts into a deep frown and he takes a step back from her, hand falling to his side. “What?”

“You remember when I said I thought he might fancy me a bit…”

“Yeah,” Alec replies dubiously. “But. He – he actually _kissed_ you? Where, at the station? When?”

Ellie sighs. “Sit, will you?”

She pulls two of the kitchen table chairs close together, across from one another, and they sit. Ellie leans forward with her hands on his knees.

“Outside the station. Shortly before I left. It came out of nowhere. For me, anyway,” she explains carefully. “He’s apologized profusely. Truly I think he took _himself_ by surprise as well as me.”

“Did he – touch you?” He sits back against the chair with his arms folded across his chest.

“Had a hand on my knee, but just to comfort me, I honestly didn’t think anything of it until he kissed me.”

Alec leans forward now. “How did he kiss you?”

“How?”

“You know what I’m askin’, Ellie.”

She rubs her forehead. “Not…timidly, I mean, he…”

“Not like a peck on the lips.”

“No.”

He swallows. “Tongue?”

Ellie jerks back. “God, no. I pulled away. Obviously.”

“But he. You know.”

“It was a proper kiss, Alec, a kiss like, his lips between my lips, you know. There was suction.”

He stares at her. “There was _suction_.”

“You know what I’m saying, you bloody well know what a proper kiss is,” Ellie retorts, annoyed.

“Then what.”

“Then what? I pulled away and I left.” She runs her hands up and down his thighs trying to calm him. “Obviously I gave him no encouragement.”

He does seem soothed by her touch and he nods. “I know you didn’t.”

“I’m sorry it happened.” She fixes her gaze on him steadfastly, waiting for him to meet it. “Babe.”

He does. She cups his face with her hands and offers him a sympathetic smile.

“He knows what you taste like,” Alec grumbles. “Don’t like that he knows what you taste like.”

She nods, placating his male ego, and touches her forehead to his. “I know.”

He slides his hands up and down her bare arms. “How your lips feel.”

“I know, love.” Ellie moves onto his lap and he wraps his arms around her, his face tucked between her neck and shoulder, folding into her. “You’re handling this very well.”

He grunts.

“Thank you for not getting angry.”

“ _Am_ angry,” he insists.

“You know what I mean, thank you for not having a bloody fit.” She rubs his back.

They’re both quiet for a few moments. The sound of the teenagers laughing in the living room wafts in and makes Ellie smile.

“Can we go to bed,” Alec asks her quietly.

She kisses his hair. “Mm-hmm. Let’s say goodnight to the kids then, yeah?”

Hand in hand, they walk down the hallway into the living room, where the teenagers are still deep in lively conversation.

“We’re turning in,” Ellie says. “You’re free to hang out a bit, just keep the volume down, all right? See yourselves out in the next hour or so.”

“Okay, Mrs. Hardy,” Mandy says, the only one who’s not yet close enough to call her Ellie.

Ellie looks at Daisy and Tom. “Tidy up after yourselves.”

“Night, guys,” Daisy says.

“Night,” echoes Tom.

Ellie leads Alec out of the room again. His hand clings tightly to hers and he kisses her shoulder on the way out.

Once they’re out of ear shot, Erin's neutral smile curves into a naughty grin. “Oh, they are _so_ going upstairs to shag each other’s brains out.”

Tom and Daisy both throws pillows in her direction, crying out in disgust.

Chloe smirks and looks around. “Got any sound machines for the living room?”

***


End file.
